WMU board affirms BWA, sets $5 million goal for offering_32204

Posted: 3/19/04

WMU board affirms BWA,
sets $5 million goal for offering

By Ferrell Foster

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS–The Woman's Missionary Union of Texas board of directors has affirmed its continuing support for the Baptist World Alliance, the BWA Women's Department and the North American Baptist Women's Union.

The motion, unanimously approved at the board's March meeting, followed a similar move by national WMU.

Both actions are a response to the Southern Baptist Convention's expected pullout from BWA this summer. WMU is an auxiliary to the SBC, while the Women's Department is in the same relationship with the BWA.

“We are saying: 'We will not forget you, … We will join with you,'” to Baptist women around the world, said Carolyn Porterfield, executive director/treasurer of Texas WMU.

Porterfield encouraged Texas WMU members to go to the SBC annual meeting in Indianapolis in June to vote against the proposed defunding, saying, “It's not enough to pass resolutions.”

Texas WMU President Kathy Hillman of Waco described the three entities affirmed in the motion. The BWA is a fellowship of 211 Baptist unions and conventions with 46.5 million believers.

The Women's Department includes seven continental unions representing 132 countries and 229 national Baptist women's organizations. The organization's mission statement says it encourages and celebrates unity in Christ among Baptist women of the world and works toward “peace and reconciliation, justice and development through prayer, witness and service.”

The North American Baptist Women's Union is one of the continental unions comprising the BWA Women's Department. It provides women with information about the BWA, promotes closer relationships between North American women and those in the rest of the world, and suggests opportunities for service, Hillman said.

Three actions in recent years indicate WMU is remaining true to its mission purpose, Porterfield said.

First, support of the BWA demonstrates it.

“We need to speak for the women of the world,” the executive director said.

Second,

since the SBC changed the Baptist Faith & Message in 2000 and subsequent action by the International Mission Board required missionaries to affirm it, WMU has supported both missionaries who have remained on the field and those who refused to sign the document, Porterfield said.

Texas WMU board members demonstrate unity.

Third, Texas WMU's involvement in missions partnerships indicates it is still true to its purpose.

She noted the role of WMU in relating to missions needs in Minnesota-Wisconsin, Mexico, the northeastern portion of the United States and others.

Porterfield, in her report to the board, said Texas WMU ended 2003 $21,011 under budget. It expended $891,988 out of a $913,000 budget.

In other action, the board of directors approved allocations totaling $5 million for this year's Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions.

The budget includes 70 separate line items, with the largest being $1.25 million to assist in starting “missional churches” throughout the state. The goal is 250 such new churches.

The second-largest disbursement will be $983,000 for the Texas WMU operating budgeting.

Other large budget items include $300,000 to help “Key Churches” add church-starting specialists; $255,000 for the Rio Grande River Ministry; $200,000 to help the state's metropolitan associations “reach and disciple the unchurched.” That final allocation is part of $470,000 earmarked for Texas regional association ministries.

If the $5 million Mary Hill Davis Offering goal is not reached, the various ministries will not be fully funded.

Any funds received over the goal will be divided equally between a small-church matching grant fund and new-church support.

Last year, Texas Baptists gave $4.7 million through the offering.

The theme for this year's offering will be “Plant, Water, Harvest,” based on 1 Corinthians 3:6.

The Texas WMU board also heard various reports. Mary Humphries described the Texas Stars effort to raise endowment money for missions.

Money earned by the endowments will be used by Texas WMU to fund leadership development, Christian Women's Job Corps, ministries to missionaries and their families, and other efforts.

Carol Childress, information broker for WorldconneX, reported on the missions networking organization formed last year by the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

WorldconneX now has a five-person staff and an office in Dallas.

“WorldconneX is a response to the kind of world we live in today,” Childress said. It will be an “informational and referral service,” a network that will seek to “connect all these things God is doing.”